Calif. City's LNG Sweepers Reducing Fuel Costs By 58%

The City of Long Beach (Calif.) has reduced its fuel costs by nearly 60% annually and significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, after updating its fleet of LNG-powered street sweepers six years ago.

by Staff

May 21, 2014

1 min to read

*Photo of City of Long Beach's Elgin LNG sweeper by Paul Clinton.*

The City of Long Beach (Calif.) has reduced its fuel costs by nearly 60% annually and significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, after updating its fleet of LNG-powered street sweepers in 2008.

Over the past year, liquid natural gas fuel has cost the city an average of $1.66 per gallon, while the city spends an average of $3.98 for diesel fuel for its other vehicles. Fuel for the sweepers costs more than 58 percent less.

The city has been using a front line fleet of 20 Elgin Pelican LNG sweepers since September 2003. The second generation units have been in service since October of 2008. The sweepers clean about 150,000 curb miles per year, said Dan Berlenbach, manager of the city's Fleet Service Bureau.

"To our knowledge, we are the only City in the nation using an LNG-powered street sweeper," Berlenbach said.

On the second-generation units, the city worked with Elgin to design a larger LNG tank with a capacity of 97 gallons for the sweepers. The first-generation units had a 60 gallon tank. Accomodating the larger tank required Elgin to extend the truck's frame by 18 inches.

By using the sweepers, the city has saved 797,488 gallons of fuel and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 915 tons since 2008, Berlenbach said.

By Paul Clinton

Topics:Fuel Costs LNG City of Long Beach GHG Phase 2 Street Sweepers Elgin Industries Green Fleet

More Green Fleet

Rendering of electric vehicles charging beneath a solar-panel canopy, illustrating Inspiration Mobility Group’s acquisition of Electrada assets to expand commercial fleet electrification services.

Green Fleet•by News/Media Release•June 17, 2026

Inspiration Mobility Acquires Key Electrada Assets

Inspiration Mobility Group has acquired select assets of Electrada, adding the fleet electrification provider's team, technology, and charging infrastructure development capabilities to its energy management business.

Turning Connected Vehicle Data Into Decisions That Matter

Fleet leaders have more data than ever, but turning that data into clear, actionable decisions remains a challenge. This white paper shows how leading organizations are using connected vehicle data to improve safety, reduce costs, and optimize fleet performance. Learn how to turn insight into action across your fleet.

Are You Tracking Your Fleet's True Total Cost of Ownership?

Bobit Business Media surveyed 190 fleet professionals and found that while most fleets are tracking costs, fragmented systems and data gaps are keeping true TCO visibility out of reach. With rising pressure to control spend in an increasingly volatile environment, the gap between what fleets think they know and what the data actually shows is wider than you might expect. See how your peers are managing costs today and where the industry still has room to improve.

Hybrids: Electrification Without the Challenges

For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.